Signaling device



April 7, 1931-. A. s. HALVERSON SIGNALING DEVICE Filed May 26, 1928 4Sheets-Sheet 1 ArZkami'Ml/er'smv .NVENTOR NN Q3 ATTORNEY April 7, 1931.A. s. HALVERSON SIGNALING DEVICE Filed May 26, 1928 4 SheetsShee1; 2

INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 7, 1931. A. s. HALVERSON SIGNALING DEVICE FiledMay 26, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY kN ww April 7, 1931. 5HALVERSON 1,800,068

SIGNALING DEVICE Filed May 26 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY INVENTORPatented Apr. 7, 1931 PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR s. HALVERSON, or FULLERTON,NEBRASKA SIGNALING DEVICE Application filed. May 26, 1328.

This invention relates to signal devices adapted to indicate thedirection of travel of a vehicle.

Another object of the invention comprehends signal elements includedupon the vehicle and adapted to be turned in the pro posed direction oftravel.

Another object of the invention compree .hends an operating mechanismadapted for connection with the signal elements to turn and illuminatethe signaling elements when shifted to occupy their respectivepositions.

. A further object of the invention con-.

sists of cut-off devices whereby switch me1nbe'rs for the operatingmechanism may be left-in their initial positions and the electricalenergy will be shut off when the signal reaches its purported position.

More specifically stated the signal elef ments are provided with signalfaces where by other vehicles approaching the signal equipped vehiclemay readily determine the direction of travel and the proposed directionof travel of the particular vehicle before the detour is executed.

With the above and other objects inview, the invention further consistsof the following. novel features and details of construction, tobehereinafter more fully described,

0 illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out intheappended claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a vehiclewith the invention appliedfor 3 use in conjunction therewith.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of the signal elements.

Figure 3 is atop plan View of one of the signal elements.

Figure 4: is a sectional View taken through the operating mechanism anddisclosing the particularmounting for the signal elements.

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views taken through the operatingmechanism upon the sectional line 5-5 of Figure 4 to disclose therespective relative positionsof the op erating mechanism for thesupporting means of the signal elements.

5.0 Figure 7 is a sectional view. taken online Serial No. 280,843.

7-7 of Figure 4 and illustrative of a neutral position for the operatingmechanism.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a portion of the control mechanism.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 10-10 of Figure2.

Figure 11 is an end elevation of one of the signal elements.

Figure 12 is a transverse sectional view taken on line l2-12 of Figure2.

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic view of the wirin circuits.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts, the reference character 10indicates a vehicle having supports 11 adapted to accommodate housingmembers 12 for an operating mechanism, the construe? tion and operationof which will be presently described.

The housings 12 are subdivided into com partments 13, 14 and 15 bypartitions 16., 17 and 18 respectively, substantially as illus-. tratedin Figure 4 of the drawings.

Tubular members 19, extended within the tops of the housings 12, arealso disposed within registering openings in the respective partitions.The lowermost ends of the tubular members 19 are provided with collars20 having circumferential grooves 21 adapted to accommodate the innermost peripheral edges of apertured disks 22. carried upon thelowermost compart.

ments 18 to journal the tubular members and sustain the same in elevatedpositions.

Signal elements, such as indicated at 23, constructed after the mannerof arrows, are hollow throughout their lengths; the side walls of thereduced portions thereof and the pointed ends are cut away and replacedby transparentpanels 24.

The inner or feather ends of the arrows are. also faced upon the sidesthereof by panels 25 colored to designate the charac teristics offeather guides upon the innermost ends of arrows. An enlarged portion orlamp compartment 26 being provided between the reduced portion of thearrow and feather end thereof. A lamp 27, positioned within thecompartment 26, is wired to the tubular member 19. The forward walls 28are formed of amber or yellow colored panels, whereby approachingtrailic will be informedjas to the direction of travel pursued bytheparticular vehicle and any pur 29 is red to indicate the back of thearrow and which under ordinary driving conditions maybe employedas atail light.

The operating mechanism comprehends a pair of solenoid coils A and B caried upon the partition 18, solenoid 0 upon the partition 17 and asolenoid D upon the parti tion 16. The solenoids hand 13 are disposed inthe positions shown in Figure 5 of the drawings to selectively energizethe contact portions 30 and 31 of complemental arms 32 and33respectively. Cross arms 34, laterally disposed upon the tubular members19, are adapted for pivotal connection at their outermost ends witharcuate-shaped arms 35 adapted for connection with the adjacent ends ofthecomplemental arms 32 and 33. The neutral position of the signalelement is illustrated by the operating mechanism in Figure. 6. of thedrawings.

' As mentioned in the foregoing, I. have provided a control mechanismadapted for use in conjunction with the operating mechanism to cutoffthe electrical energy to and from the signalelements and operatingmechanism therefor and in carrying out the invention, I have provided aplate member 36 of disk like formation and which is fixedly connectedwith a tubular member 19 for simultaneous rotation therewith. A

spring locking dog 37, located adjacent the working end of the solenoidD, is adapted for selective reception within cut-out portions 38 in theouter curved edge of the plate member 36. as illustrated in Figure 8 ofthe drawings, are preferably three in number. A cam 39, carried upon theundersurface of the plate member 36, is adapted to selectively engagespring contact fingers 40, 41 and 42 adapted for contacting engagementwith contact members 43, 44 and 45 respectively for automaticallybreaking the circuit when the arrow occupies its predeterminedpositions.

From the diagrammatic view in Figure 13 of the drawings, it is notedthat the master switch. 46 when swung to the left for contactingengagement with the contact 48 that the current will flow fromthesourceof current 47 through the master switch 46,

The cut-out portions 38,.

switch 46 is disposed in the left position,

the "solenoids A and D' respectively will be simultaneously energized torotate the plate member 36 and release the locking dog 37 from theparticular cut-out portion 38, whereby the arrow will be swung to occupya left position. Upon arriving at such position, the cam 39 carried uponthe undersurface of the plate member 36 will engage the contact finger42 and break the circuit between the source of current47 and the;

solenoids A and .1), whereby the arrow or signal will remain in theaforementioned position, the lamp 27-will remain illuminated but thesolenoids A and D will be deenergized. i In like manner, the masterswitch 46 when swung to occupy a right position, that is to. the rightof the contact v52 for contacting engagement with the contact 50, thecurrent will then flow fromthe source of current 47 through the switchto the contact 50 through the conducting wire'5l to the contact member44, the spring finger 41 and the adjacent conducting wire tothe solenoidB, which is in turn connected in series with the solenoid D. Theoperation of the right-turn signal'is likened to that of the left-turnsignal in operation.

The master switch 46 when swung from either a'right or left turnposition and contacting the contact 52 will cause the current to flowfrom the battery or other source of current, as indicated at 47, to passthrough the conducting wire 53 through the contact finger 46 and thecontact member 43, which is in turn connected with a solenoid C. hesolenoid G being connector in series with the solenoid D, whereby thelocking dog 37 will be released from the adjacent cut-out portion 38 inthe plate member 36. and the arrow of the signal element will then beshifted to occupy anormally inactive position, namely, pointing straightahead or in parallelism with that of the vehicle.

It is to be noted that lateral shifting movement of the master switch 46for contacting engagement. with the contacts 48, 50 and 52 respectivelywill also selectively engage the multiplicity of contacts 55 disposed inthe path of movement of the master switch 46, whereby the lamp bulb 27within the arrow or signal element will be successively flashed, wherebythe proposed detour or direction of'travel of the particular'velOU hiclewill be readily ascertained by other motorists advancing the particularvehicle in either direction, inasmuch as the flashing of the lamp bulbwithin the signal element or arrow will put the approaching motorists onguard.

From the illustration in Figure 13 of the drawings, it will be notedthat the particular location of the master switch 46 and the contactmember 41 will be depressed to break the circuit between the conductingwire 53 and the contact member 43, whereby the solenoid C will bedeenergized by the signal element to occupy a neutral position and thelamp bulb 27 will still burn, and the rear panel 29 in the signalelement, being red, may be effectively employed as a tail or parkinglamp.

As illustrated in Figure 13, the lamp bulb 27 forthe signal arrow, isprovided with a conducting wire 54tand which in this instance is adaptedfor connection with a series of contacts 55 located in juxtaposition tothe contacts 48, 50 and 52 respectively, whereby the master switch 46,when swung to occupy its respective positions, will simultaneously closeboth circuits, whereby the signal element may be illuminated when swungto occupy signal positions.

In Figure 7 of the drawings, the solenoid G is disclosed and which isadapted to return the signal element to its neutral posi tion, afterbeing initially shifted to either the right or left. Contact portions56, carried upon companion arms 57, pivotally mounted as indicated at58, are adapted to be simultaneously energized to swing across arm 59having connection with the adjacent ends of the arms 57 through theinstrumentality of links 60.

From the foregoing, it is to be noted that the particular signal may beshifted to occupy signal positions, precedent to making a detour,whereby motorists approaching the particular equipped vehicle will bewell informed as to the proposed direction of travel of the vehicle,long before the turn is made and in both da and night, inasmuch as thesignals may e illuminated and the walls 28 and 29 of the signal elementswill readily indicate, at night, the direction of travel of the vehicle.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportionsand minor details of construction, and the right is herein reserved tomake such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a directionsignal, a housing, a signal carrying shaft mounted therein, means tonormally lock the shaft against rotation comprising a member mounted onsaid shaft and movable locking member cooperating therewith,electrically controlled means to actuate the movable locking member andrelease the shaft, electrically operated means to rotate the shaft toactive signaling position, means to simultaneously close a circuitthrough the electrically controlled means and the shaft rotating means,means to interrupt the circuit to the electrically controlled means topermit the movable memher to return to normal locking position,electrically operated means to return the shaft to inactive position,and means to simultaneously close a circuit through the electricallycontrolled means and shaft returning means to restore the parts tonormal position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR S. HALVERSON.

